Readers' Incentives

What makes a reader want to continue reading? Of course, they find it enjoyable and entertaining. but their main reward is a novel's ending. This was brought home to me this week when I read a romantic suspense novel. The book wasn't bad, but it had several problems. It often moved much too slowly, had grammatical errors, and I didn't like the heroine. However, it had a strong, exceptional ending that caused me to give it a five-star rating instead of the four I had planned to give it. The ending made me glad I'd read the book.

Yet, much more often, I find the opposite to be true. A bland, lackluster ending makes me wish I hadn't wasted my time. Endings should never be just told, and adding an epilogue often does just that. Cliffhangers anger me unless I'm warned ahead of time because I feel cheated. In a romance, the ending needs to be especially romantic. In a mystery, all the loose ends should be tied up. Readers deserve the best reward authors can give them for reading the book.

The conclusion is every bit as important as the opening, if not more so. The more struggles and upheavals the main characters experience, the more important it is to knock the ending out of the park. I don't know how many novels I've read that didn't do this, and it's disappointing. If readers are properly rewarded with a good story and a strong ending, they'll become loyal fans for life.

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